United Church of Christ (Elgin, Neb.)

The Elgin Presbyterian Church was organized, with the assistance of Rev. Jacob Van Doren, on February 27, 1887. Upon organization, it had eighteen charter members and three ruling elders. During its early years, the Presbyterian Church shared a church building with the Methodists of Elgin. On January 14, 1897 the congregation voted to erect its own building. Services were held in Tester Hall and Woodmen Hall until, on February 3, 1900, a plot of ground was purchased from the Pioneer Town Site Company and a church was built.

The Presbyterian Church Sunday School was organized on February 2, 1898. Books were collected by the youngsters of the church and housed in the Sunday School. This library served Elgin until 1931, when it was turned over to the town and received its first appropriation.

In 1971 the church affiliated with the United Church of Christ and adopted the name of the Elgin United Church of Christ. This affiliation continued until July 31, 1977, when the congregation voted to close. Church services were soon abandoned. The church property was sold in 1979. A few meetings of the membership were held after the closing date to complete church business.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of six volumes and a fractional amount of manuscript material on 1 reel of microfilm, arranged in three series: 1) Minutes, 1895-1980; 2) Registers, 1887-1977; and 3) Miscellany. This material relates to business conducted, membership, and ceremonial events of the Elgin United Church of Christ and its predecessor, the Elgin Presbyterian Church.

Series 1 consists of Minute Books, 1895-1980, reflecting business conducted at the congregational, elders', and trustees' meetings of the Elgin Presbyterian Church and the Elgin United Church of Christ. Entries report on plans and projects, resolutions discussed, members received, the granting of letters of dismissal, finances, statistics, elections, committee appointments, and the coordination of activities with other churches. Volume 2 also includes listings of infant baptisms, 1898-1902; membership, 1895-1905; and some financial notes. Volume 4 contains the minutes of meetings which dealt with the church's decision to affiliate with the United Church of Christ (1971) and its decision to close (1977).

The Registers, 1887-1977, of Series 2 provide information about ceremonial events conducted by the church. Included is pertinent information about communicants, baptisms, marriages, and deaths. Entries usually show the individual's name, parents, birthdate and birthplace, officiating minister, and witnesses. Other information (e.g. date of baptism, date of death) might be provided for particular types of register records (e.g. register of deaths). Also included in the volumes are listings of the church's pastors, elders, and trustees.

The Miscellany of Series 3 consists of three items: By-Laws of the Elgin Presbyterian Church; an application for membership in the Presbyterian Church; and a "Letter of Intent," 1980, of the Elgin United Church of Christ.

Note: This collection was loaned for microfilming by the Nebraska Conference of the United Church of Christ in October of 1980.